Challenge Cup

Edinburgh (3) 17

Tries: Ashman, Gwynn Cons: Grayson 2 Pens: Grayson

Toulon (6) 27

Tries: Jaminet 2, Tuicuvu Cons: Jaminet 3 Pens: Jaminet 2

Edinburgh suffered their first defeat of the season as they went down to Toulon in their European Challenge Cup opener.

Melvyn Jaminet inspired the French side to victory, scoring two tries and contributing 22 points in a superb individual display.

The France full-back kicked two penalties, the second from well inside his own half, to give the visitors a 6-0 lead.

Edinburgh engineered some good openings but were unable to break through as they were met with some fierce French goal-line defence.

James Grayson kicked a penalty to reduce the gap to three points heading into the break.

Toulon struck early in the second half when Edinburgh were turned over in the French 22. The ball was spun wide to Jaminet who sprinted free, chipped ahead and gathered to go over for a wonderful score.

The home side hit back almost immediately with a cleverly worked set-piece. Ewan Ashman threw to Tom Currie coming through the middle of the lineout. He then set Ashman free to race up the touchline and over the line to make it a three-point game once again.

A powerful Toulon maul drove them to the brink of the Edinburgh line before Scotland scrum-half Ben White slipped a lovely little delayed pass to Seta Tuicuvu to crash over.

At 20-10 down, the game looked to be slipping away, but Edinburgh responded again when Currie’s tackle caused Toulon fly-half Matteo Garcia to fumble in midfield and replacement Geordie Gwynn scooped up and raced free to go in under the posts.

Toulon were undeterred, and another rolling maul laid the platform for Jeremy Sinzelle to slip in Jaminet for his second try of the night to all-but end Edinburgh’s resistance.

Edinburgh: Piers O’Conor, Malelili Satala, Matt Currie, Mosese Tuipulotu, Darcy Graham, James Grayson, Hector Patterson; Pierre Schoeman, Ewan Ashman, Ollie Blyth-Lafferty, Callum Hunter-Hill, Glen Young, Tom Currie, Freddy Douglas, Magnus Bradbury.

Replacements: Jerry Blyth-Lafferty, Jamie Stewart, Paul Hill, Grant Gilchrist, Euan McVie, Conor McAlpine, Geordie Gwynn, Rory McHaffie.

Toulon: Melvyn Jaminet, Seta Tuicuvu, Antoine Frisch, Jeremy Sinzelle, Apete Narogo, Mateo Garcia, Ben White; Jean-Baptiste Gros, Gianmarco Lucchesi, Beka Gigashvili, Swan Rebbadj, Corentin Mezou, Zach Mercer, Estaban Abadie, Patrick Tuifua.

Replacements: Teddy Baubigny, Samuel Jean-Christophe, Owen Sorhaindo, Luciano Asevedo, Lewis Ludlam, Joe Quere Karaba, Baptiste Serin, Luka Keletaona.

Referee: Ben Breakspear